


Love Lost

by Beetle Brownleaf (monsterlover)



Series: I Trust You [6]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M, Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Fluff, Patch 5.0: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-20 20:27:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21062705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monsterlover/pseuds/Beetle%20Brownleaf





	Love Lost

Beetle rested against Urianger as they sat beneath a tree, absentmindedly playing with the ring on her right hand. It was no ordinary ring; a silver House Fortemps singet ring, bearing the unicorn emblem. Despite this, she hadn’t given it any though until she looked down at it, and her lips parted as realization crept upon her.

Her mind wandered to years past, and to the finger it had originally rested upon. To a love lost.

“Beetle?” Urianger said, stroking her hair, “What troubleth thee?”

She looked up at him, mouth moving to speak, but no words came out. His hand cradled her face, and she closed her eyes.

“Urianger,” she began, “Would it… would it bother you if… if…”

Her eyes moved away from him, and she swallowed.

“Would it bother you if I kept this ring?”

“Wherefore shouldst such a thing bother me?”

“Because… it was… Haurchefant’s. He gave it to me… when he asked me to marry him,” she explained, “In lieu of a ‘proper’ wedding ring.”

He nodded with understanding.

“And thou believeth it offends my affections for thee,” he said.

Beetle sighed heavily, as if she had been holding her breath.

“Yes.”

He shrugged and shook his head.

“It bothers me not. I know where thy heart lieth.”

Her mouth fell open, and she gently bit her lip.

“The thing is… I… well… I do love you, truly I do… but when I think of him… a small part of me feels like I still love _him,_ too.”

Urianger rested his chin on his fist, looking away.

“I see.”

She took his pause to mean he was upset, and she took the ring off her finger.

“I’ll stop wearing it, if you want me to,” she muttered sheepishly.

“Beetle,” he interjected, “Prithee, do not mistake my solemn state for displeasure. It truly offends me not that thou still harboreth a love for him. Love… doth not easily fade. I doubt it ever shall. Nor do I believe it should.”

He smiled as he continued.

“The love thou once didst share with him hath made thee who thou art now,” he said, “A woman I myself love. And I wouldst not change any one thing about thee.”

“Besides,” he said, “I do somewhat understand thy feelings myself.”

Beetle’s eyes widened.

“I speaketh of Moenbryda, of course,” he said, his voice softening at her name.

“Ahh. I always thought there must have been something between you two,” she said.

“Well, twas not quite romantic in nature,” he explained, “Though it came perilously close.”

He plucked a flower off the ground and played with it as he spoke.

“For most of my days, I hath guarded my heart very carefully. Love was, for the longest time… too frightening a prospect for me to approach. Tis in part why I hid my affections from thee for so long,” he said, “So although Moenbryda wouldst most gladly hath taken me as her lover… I could not be that for her. She knew this, and her playful banter was just that. But it doth pain me at times… to know that I denied it from her. And I find myself wondering… what could have been. But rest assured, this diminisheth not my love for thee.”

Beetle nodded, patting his chest.

“I understand. I guess… the two of them will always be a part of us,” she said, “Maybe that’s just how it works.”

“Indeed,” he replied, “Mayhap tis simply the way of things.”

Beetle rested against him, smiling warmly.

“I love you.”

He smiled and held her close, kissing her forehead.

“I love thee as well.”


End file.
